Second baseman Daniel Murphy to play in first game this spring when NY Mets face Washington Nationals

New York Daily News | Mar 28

It is time for Daniel Murphy to prove he is ready to play in the big leagues again. Murphy will start at second base on Thursday against the Nationals in his first game this spring after being diagnosed with a strained right abdominal Feb. 19.

Terry Collins said Murphy feels he is ready to play.

“If he is gonna be ready, we’re going to make sure he’s ready,” the Mets manager said. “The organization, the rest of the club is at stake with this. We’ve got to make sure Dan is ready.”

If Murphy is not ready and goes on the DL, his inactive stint will start with his last Grapefruit League appearance. David Wright, who was diagnosed with a strained left intercostal and received a cortisone shot on March 15, will play in a minor league game Thursday and likely not in a big-league game until Saturday, when the Mets are sure he is ready to go. If Wright is not ready for a big-league game, they can backdate his time on the disabled list and minimize the time he misses.